Jeff Sessions: i thank the chair and yield the floor. mr. sessions: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alabama's recognized. mr. sessions: i see my other colleagues. i did want to talk on one of the judicial nominees, but i did want to say, first, how much i appreciate senator specter.

Jeff Sessions: i -- let me just say this, i had the honor to serve on the senate judiciary committee with senator specter the entire i've been in the senate, going on 14 years, i guess, and no one has a clearer legal mind, the clarity of his thought and the expression is always impressive to me and as

Jeff Sessions: someone who's practiced law, i see those great lawyer skills that he possesses. also i would note that he is not just today, but throughout his career, defended the legitimacy of the powers of the senate. he was very, very articulate

Jeff Sessions: over the past number of years in criticizing the abuse of filling the tree where amendments -- bills can be brought up and amendments are not allowed. he's believed that that is an unhealthy trend in the senate and has been one of the most0! effective advocates in

Jeff Sessions: opposition to it. he sponsored and passed an arm career criminal act, one of the leaders in that, having been a long-time prosecutor in philadelphia. i like to tease my -- our good friend, chairman leahy, he was a prosecutor, but it was in vermont. senator specter had to deal with

Jeff Sessions: a lot of crime in philadelphia and was consistently reelected there for his effectiveness and is a true source of insight into crime in america and has been an effective advocate for fighting crime. i would note, also, that he had

Jeff Sessions: a good -- a good view about senators. he respects other senators. he asked me one time about something or i was sharing with him my concern about a matter,?? and he used a phrase that i've heard him use more than once, well, you are a united states senator. in other words, if you don't like it, stand up and defend yourself.

Jeff Sessions: and he respected that even if he disagree. i remember another time senator specter was on the floor. i had just gotten here and i wanted him to do something, others long since forgotten, i said, senator specter, you could vote for this and you could say back home thus and so.

Jeff Sessions: and he looked right at me and he said, senator, i don't need your advice on how to -- how to conduct myself back home politically. i learned a lesson from that. i never told another senator that, senator specter, because who am i to tell you how to

Jeff Sessions: conduct yourself politically back home in the state of pennsylvania. and senator specter chaired the judiciary committee during the confirmations of chief justice roberts and alito. he was leading -- the leading republican chair at that time and he raised questions about

Jeff Sessions: the mom me but -- nominees, but as chairman of the committee has -- with the votes in support of his republican colleagues, he protected our rights. he protected our interests. he didn't back down one time on any action by the other party that would have denied the

Jeff Sessions: ability to move that nomination forward to a vote and protect the rights of the parties on our side. that's just a few things that come to mind when i think about the fantastic service he's given to the senate. one of our -- one of our most able members, one of our most

Jeff Sessions: effective defenders of senatorial prerogative and independence, one of our crime fighters without par, and one of the best lawyers in the senate. and a person who is courageous and strong and even when he was conducting those very intense

Jeff Sessions: alito and roberts hearings, it was just after he had serious cancer treatment, the chemotherapy and i know he didn't feel good, but you were fabulous in conducting yourself at that time, senator and throughout all of that treatment your work ethic surpassed, by

Jeff Sessions: far, that of most senators in this body. so it's been an honor to serve with you. i wanted to say that. mr. chairman, i see my other colleagues maybe -- i know senator coburn wanted to come down and was told he might be able to speak around noon, so i would yield the floor at this